Harris, Walz test Midwest credentials at Michigan and Wisconsin rallies

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, put his Midwestern credentials to the test on Wednesday with rallies in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan.

“Hello, Eau Claire!” Walz said to a boisterous crowd of thousands in the Wisconsin city about 80 miles (130 km) away from his home across the Minnesota border. “Isn’t it good to have a candidate who can pronounce the name correctly?”

The Democratic candidates are using their first joint campaign swing to introduce Walz, a former teacher and football coach and a veteran of the Army National Guard, to voters around the country after he beat out better-known Democrats for the No. 2 spot.

They are also making their case against Republican rival Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Senator JD Vance, with less than three months until the Nov. 5 election.

“We are joyful warriors,” Harris said at an evening rally in Detroit, underscoring the sense of optimism that has enveloped Democrats since she replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the presidential ticket two weeks ago.

Polls show Harris has erased the lead Trump had built during the final faltering weeks of Biden’s campaign, and a re-energized Democratic Party has flooded her campaign with donations.

The Harris campaign said it raised $36 million in 24 hours after announcing Walz as the vice presidential pick on Tuesday. Wednesday’s rallies drew more than 27,000 people in total, according to the campaign.

Democrats regard Wisconsin and Michigan as near must-wins in the 2024 election. The states have loomed large for the party since Hillary Clinton’s unexpected defeats there helped clinch Trump’s 2016 win.

Source: Reuters